For me, the lingering image of Lalitha Chechi will always be her character in ‘Vazhve Maayam’. That neighbourhood woman who lives in pain and misery. I think I might have been studying in 4th or 5th grade then. That image of her has been ingrained in me since then.
I was astounded to see her house in Chennai and had gone there several times to ask for opportunities. But she has never come out of the house during any of those instances. While trying to meet Bharathettan, I have often wondered if I could see her once. But I never saw her as she had confined herself to a life of homemaker then. It’s from there that she single-handedly brought up her two children after Bharathettan’s death.
I have always felt that she was an icon of women's empowerment. After her husband’s death, it was no easy task to bring up two children. She made sure they were well-settled in life. Though she worked hard in cinema, she didn’t quite amass any wealth. Lalitha chechi wasn’t someone who asked anyone for help. She has gone through a lot in life and I think more than me, her colleague Lalitha Shree is more aware of that phase.
When it comes to Lalitha chechi, the golden rule was that no matter how awful the film might be, she will always give her heart and soul to her role. There is no artifice in her performance. If 'Manichithrathazhu' is a classic, a lot of credit should also go to actors like Innocent, KPAC Lalitha, and Nedumudi Venu. It is also the performance of an era.
Two years ago, soon after Covid, she had come to my house, asking for food--“Suresh, I am coming there. Tell Radhika to cook some rice and Sambhar for me.” To think that someone so close to me is no more is heartbreaking. One reason why this bond remained so strong was because of Aranmula Ponnamma and my mother. During earlier times, the death of a colleague in the film industry was like the death of a family member. Relationships were that deep and strong then. Also, artists like Lalitha chechi are familiar to every household with her characters. A gifted artist who has done complete justice to every character given to her! Such artists reside in people's hearts.
While shooting for ‘Varane Avashyamundu’ she had a smooth time. Though she was given special care on the sets, she would keep running around the sets. She loved joking with Shobana and others on the sets. She never showed any signs of ill health on the sets nor the last time she visited us home. I don’t think she followed any strict diet too and would eat payasam. Though she was not allowed to take it, she would brush it aside and tell me— “Oh nothing like that. I will take one more medicine and control it.”
If you take her backstory, it wasn’t really a bed of roses. What really hurt me was the comments on social media when the govt offered her medical assistance. I was appalled at the insensitivity. Someone who had a successful life suddenly had a shift in life and you take that opportunity to ridicule their plight! When the govt made that decision, I wish the social media wasn’t so cruel to her. Her life had become rather difficult by then.
Lalitha chechi has a particular style of acting. And some credit for it should go to her theatre training. She had a mentor in Thoppil Basi, the legendary theatre artist, and filmmaker. If Malayalam cinema had a gifted actor like Lalitha chechi, full credit to her experience in theatre for that. For actors like us who came after that, she was a textbook. I could learn how to improvise as an actor while working with Lalitha chechi. I can only say that for the future generation, this is one school of acting they are going to miss.